(He was also a philanderer who used his position to make unwelcome advances on women.)

When the boys came out to play

(When Parliament was in session and it was time to act like a king…)

Georgie-Porgie ran away.

(…King George ran away from his duties)

Theme is all about the story BEHIND the story.

Sometimes you can’t come right out and say what needs saying. Maybe your message is politically incorrect. Maybe your audience would relate to the truth if they weren’t blinded by prejudice. Even Jesus told parables to convey important themes in a way that his listeners could relate to and understand.

Verily, I say unto you, that a day is coming and now is when writers may need to state the plain truth a little less plainly so that it may become more obvious than before.

Exercise:

Brainstorm. What are some reasons certain types of messages aren’t received by certain audiences?

List some issues that are important to you–things that people may be reluctant or afraid to say, things that are easily misunderstood.

Think about other ways of showing those ideas without coming right out and telling people what you think they should think. (Hmmm…showing vs telling…that sounds familiar!)

Lynn Dean dictated her first story before she could write and continued to write stories, illustrate them, and bind them into books throughout childhood. As a homeschooling mom, she enjoyed passing a love for writing to her own children and ten years of co-op students.